the university of hard knocks(重击大学)-第11部分
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
coming。 Shell out！〃
But they stuck to the shells。
〃Little turkeys； I'll have to help you。 I'll have to shell you by hand。〃 So
I picked the shells off。 〃Little turkeys； you will never know how fortunate
you are。 Ordinary turkeys do not have these advantages。 Ordinary turkeys
do not get shelled by hand。〃
Did I help them？ I killed them； or stunted them。 Not one of the turkeys
was 〃right〃 that I helped。 They were runts。 One of them was a regular
Harry Thaw turkey。 They had too many silk socks。 Too many
〃advantages。〃
Children； you must crack your own shells。 You must overcome your
own obstacles to develop your own powers。
A rich boy can succeed； but he has a poorer chance than a poor boy。
The cards are against him。 He must succeed in spite of his 〃advantages。〃
I am pleading for you to get a great arm； a great mind； a great
character； for the joy of having a larger life。 I am pleading with you to
50
… Page 51…
The University of Hard Knocks
know the joy of overcoming and having the angels come and minister to
you。
Happiness in Our Work
Children； I am pleading with you to find happiness。 All the world is
seeking happiness； but so many are seeking it by rattling down instead of
by shaking up。
The happiness is in going upin developing a greater arm； a greater
mind； a greater character。
Happiness is the joy of overcoming。 It is the delight of an expanding
consciousness。 It is the cry of the eagle mounting upward。 It is the proof
that we are progressing。
We find happiness in our work； not outside of our work。 If we cannot
find happiness in our work； we have the wrong job。 Find the work that fits
your talents； and stop watching the clock and planning vacations。
Loving friends used to warn me against 〃breaking down。〃 They scared
me into 〃taking care〃 of myself。 And I got to taking such good care of
myself and watching for symptoms that I became a physical wreck。
I saved myself by getting busier。 I plunged into work I love。 I found
my job in my work； not away from it； and the work refreshed me and
rejuvenated me。 Now I do two men's work； and have grown from a skinny；
fretful； nervous wreck into a hearty； happy man。 This has been a great
surprise to my friends and a great disappointment to the undertaker。 I am
an editor in the daytime and a lecturer at night。
I edit all day and take a vacation lecturing at night。 I lecture almost
every day of the yearmaybe two or three times some daysand then take
a vacation by editing and writing。 Thus every day is jam full of play and
vacation and good times。 The year is one round of joy； and I ought to pay
people for the privilege of speaking and writing to them instead of them
paying me！
If I did not like my work； of course； I would be carrying a terrible
51
… Page 52…
The University of Hard Knocks
burden and would speedily collapse。
You see； I have no time nowadays to break down。 I have no time to
think and grunt and worry about my body。 And like Paul I am happy to be
〃absent from the body and present with the Lord。〃 Thus this old body
behaves just beautifully and wags along like the tail follows the dog when
I forget all about it。 The grunter lets the tail wag the dog。
I have never known a case of genuine 〃overwork。〃 I have never known
of anyone killing himself by working。 But I have known of multitudes
killing themselves by taking vacations。
The people who think they are overworking are merely overworrying。
This is one species of selfishness。
To worry is to doubt God。
To work at the things you love； or for those you love； is to turn work
into play and duty into privilege。
When we love our work； it is not work； it is life。
Many Kinds of Drunkards
The world is trying to find happiness in being amused。 The world is
amusement…mad。 Vacations； Coca Cola and moviemania！
What a sad； empty lot of rattlers！ Look over the bills of the movies；
look over the newsstands and see a picture of the popular mind； for these
places keep just what the people want to buy。 What a lot of mental frog…
pond and moral slum our boys and girls wade thru！
There are ten literary drunkards to one alcoholic drunkard。 There are a
hundred amusement drunkards to one victim of strong drink。 And all just
as hard to cure。
We have to have amusement； but if we fill our lives with nothing but
amusement； we never grow。 We go thru our lives babies with new
rattleboxes and 〃sugar…tits。〃
52
… Page 53…
The University of Hard Knocks
Almost every day as I go along the street to some hall to lecture； I hear
somebody asking； 〃What are they going to have in the hall tonight？〃
〃Going to have a lecture。〃
〃Lecture？〃 said with a shiver as tho it was 〃small pox。〃 〃I ain't goin。' I
don't like lectures。〃
The speaker is perfectly honest。 He has no place to put a lecture。 I am
not saying that he should attend my lecture； but I am grieving at what
underlies his remark。 He does not want to think。 He wants to follow his
nose around。 Other people generally lead his nose。 The man who will not
make the effort to think is the great menace to the nation。 The crowd that
drifts and lives for amusement is the crowd that finds itself back near the
caboose； and as the train of progress leaves them； they wail； they 〃never
had no chanct。〃 They want to start a new party to reform the government。
The Lure of the City
Do you ever get lonely in a city？ How few men and women there。 A
jam of people； most of them imitationsmost of them trying to look like
they get more salary。 Poor； hungry； doped butterflies of the bright lights；
hopers； suckers and straphangers！ Down the great white way they go
chasing amusement to find happiness。 They must be amused every
moment； even when they eat； or they will have to be alone with their
empty lives。
The Prodigal Son came to himself afterwhile and thought upon his
ways。 Then he arose and went to his father's house。 Whenever one will
stop chasing amusements long enough to think upon his ways； he will
arise and go to his father's house of wisdom。 But there is no hope for the
person who will not stop and think。 And the devil works day and night
shifts keeping the crowd moving on。
That is why the crowd is not furnishing the strong men and women。
We must have amusement and relaxation。 Study your muscles。 First
they contract； then they relax。 But the muscle that goes on continually
53
… Page 54…
The University of Hard Knocks
relaxing is degenerating。 And the individual； the community； the nation
that goes on relaxing without contractingwithout struggling and
overcomingis degenerating。
The more you study your muscles； the more you learn that while one
muscle is relaxing another is contracting。 So you must learn that your real
relaxation； vacation and amusement； are merely changing over to
contracting another set of muscles。
Go to the bank president's office； go to the railroad magnate's office；
go to the great pulpit； to the college chairgo to any place of great
responsibility in a city and ask the one who fills the place； 〃Were you born
in this city？〃
The reply is almost a monotony。 〃I born in this city？ No； I was born in
Poseyville； Indiana； and I came to this city forty years ago and went to
work at the bottom。〃
He glows as he tells you of some log…cabin home； hillside or farmside
where he struggled as a boy。 Personally； I think this log…cabin ancestry has
been over…confessed for campaign purposes。 Give us steam heat and push…
buttons。 There is no virtue in a log…cabin； save that there the necessity for
struggle that brings strength is most in evidence。 There the young person
gets the struggle and service that makes for strength and greatness。 And as
that young person comes to the city and shakes in the barrel among the
weaklings of the artificial life； he rises above them like the eagle soars
above a lot of chattering sparrows。
The cities do not make their own steam。 The little minority from the
farms controls the majority。 The red blood of redemption flows from the
country year by year into the national arteries； else these cities would drop
off the map。
If it were not for Poseyville； Indiana； Chicago would disappear。 If it
were not for Poseyville； New York would disintegrate for lack of leaders。
54
… Page 55…
The University of Hard Knocks
〃Hep〃 and 〃Pep〃 for the Home Town
But so many of the home towns o
